We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Chanelle Sipp a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Chanelle thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Over the course of your career, have you seen or experienced your field completely flip-flop or change course on something?

I have been a massage therapist for over 18 1/2 years and have loved every bit of being able to help my clients become better versions of themselves by reducing their pain. My body took a turn about a year and a half ago. I was face to face with the fact that I might have to retire and find something completely new to do. This was something that I was completely unprepared to admit to my clients, let alone, admit to myself. I started to feel lots of pain in my hip, which brought me to being virtually immobile at times. This brought me down a path of seeing many professionals to help manage the pain I was experiencing. I had lots of different imaging done, which brought even more questions, certainly no answers like I had hoped!

I prefer to live my life as healthy and naturally as I can by limiting the amount of toxins that go in my body, so it was really difficult for me to except that I needed to have imaging done with contrast and that I might need a steroid shot. At first, I rejected all of these things hearing horror stories from some of my clients and knowing the effects that steroid shots have on the body long-term. Eventually, my pain got so bad that I was willing to put those feelings aside so I could have a chance at getting my life back. I am an on the go type person and as long as the sun was up I was outside enjoying whatever activity. After the hip issue started I slowly had to give all of the things that brought me joy up. I was no longer able to practice yoga, go for runs, working out aggregated my hip, and eventually was told that I needed to give up riding my bike. Even going for shorts walks would leave me limping and in lots of pain afterwards.

With no hope and no end in sight, I started prepping my clients for my retirement from the field and started referring them to other therapists that work for me. I had hoped that lightning my load would help with the intensity of the pain. I was wrong, I found that even doing one session put me out. This was beyond difficult for me because I have a passion for helping people and I absolutely love doing massage. Unfortunately, my body had other thoughts, doing massage brought me to a point of such pain that I needed to do what was best for my body. I slowly backed away more and more as this fact was in the front of my mind. I began admitting this even to myself that this was something I NEEDED to do. There were many moments where I would be very down and depressed. Being told that the things I loved were out of the question. It was like I hit a brick wall, questioning what I would do next. I suppose this could have been called an identity crisis.

I do enjoy reading and that was something I could still do. I “randomly” came across the book by Eileen Day McKusick called Tuning The Human Biofield. (Nothing is random nor coincidence.) As soon as I saw this book, I was so enamored by it, I knew in my bones that I needed to read this book! I wasn’t sure why, however, at this point in my life, I have learned not to question the “why’s” and to trust my gut and the feelings that I had within my body and within my knowing. I was so excited when the book arrived, as soon as I got it I started reading and couldn’t put it down. The first half of the book was research that Eileen had done within the field of energy. She touched on decades of research done by many scholars within the realm. She talked about sensory deprivation rooms, about hooking electrodes up to plants and using tuning forks with the intent of healing the plant. There was concrete evidence being done about plants ability to sense and it was finally measurable by science! Energy has been put in the “woohoo box” forever and finally someone was doing the research to prove the validity! I was absolutely fascinated by it. I was fascinated by the concept and reality that we are electromagnetic beings and that we all have an energy body called the biofield. Eileen, then in the second half of the book, talks about how to go about using tuning forks to release energy within our biofield. She does not give all the meat and potatoes, but she gives just enough so that one could have a session with themselves or on another person.

When I finished the book, had a session with myself by projecting an image of myself on the table and then proceeded to give myself a tuning session. The next day, my mom called totally out of the blue and expressed how proud she was of me and that she was sorry that she didn’t tell me this more when I was younger. This act had me so intrigued, I had to take the class!

Soon after, I signed up for the class. This class was virtual, which I had some reluctance about, but it was really the only option at the time so decided to go with it. The class was amazing, the instructors were incredible and the structure of the class had such an easy and gentle flow to it that I learned al lot. I finished the foundations class with a new fire in my soul! With a new drive to learn more so I could return to my passion of helping people!

Two couple Biofield Tuning, I had also signed up for a Breathwork Healer class with David Elliott in New Mexico. I’ve been taking Breathwork classes in town and wanted to learn more. I love what it has done for me and the healing that has occurred just by using the breath. I asked the facilitator here in town if she teaches, which she doesn’t, but directed me towards her teacher, David Elliott. She said check him out and see if he resonates with you. I did and the more I researched about this guy the more I knew I had to take his class.

I went into this class with a sugar addiction alongside a roller coaster relationship with cannabis. I would go without for month or two without cannabis and then jump right back in drowning my sensations with cannabis. Now let me be clear, I have nothing against cannabis. I personally don’t find anything wrong with it, but for me, it was an unhealthy means of avoidance. It was an all the time or nothing at all sort of thing. I had been getting intuitive messages that the cannabis I was consuming was dimming my ability to deeply sense and my ability to truly be in touch with my intuition. I took my last puffs on the way to the airport and suffered dreadful withdrawal symptoms for a few days during the retreat. Eventually, I felt better, my dreams returned and after a week straight of being in New Mexico and doing the breathing meditation, I felt massive shifts! While I was there, I consumed absolutely no sugar and made it a point that the day I left for New Mexico would be the last day that I consumed cannabis. I have to say, that for me, this was so important for my spiritual development to rid my body of all addictions and toxins that I was consuming.

I am proud to say that I have been cannabis free since returning home from such a sacred place where it was easier to avoid temptation. Breathwork is such a powerful way to move energy within the body that it compares to what years of therapy could offer in just a few sessions. Now, of course, this is not the case for everyone, it is important to be open-minded and already have a willingness for this shift and change to occur.

This U-turn in my career has changed the way I approach the world, and to think it was all brought on by pain. Before the hip issue, I was a very deep, manual therapist that deeply analyzed the body and its movements. I left the world I was so familiar with and very good at with openness to discover something new, and boy did I discover something new!

I believe so highly in the work that I have transitioned into that in June I am taking the practitioner course in Biofield Tuning. I am looking forward to learning more about using tuning forks to help my fellow humans achieve greatness within their lives and within themselves. Already, the clients I have worked with have achieved great shifts within their lives! One of my Biofield Tuning clients has clearer thoughts and more decisive decision making. She told me her readers broke a day or two after our first session and when she went to get new ones, she was enamored by the fact her eye sight had drastically improved! She had begun making more health conscious food decisions and had even begun to eat salads! Another client took a 180 in her life after having 3 sessions with me. She had been depressed, feeling stuck, and had no desire to be out in the world. She had since joined a congregation, started forming friendships and even went to a poetry reading! Another client had come to some pretty deep realizations of her neglect to herself and lack of boundaries within her life. Another client was going through a very difficult time as a single mother and had always felt the weight of time on her shoulders. She was always rushing to the next place and was frequently late. She had found peace in the situation she is dealing with and has even felt like time has slowed down for her. After her session, the next day she said she has accomplished everything on her list and it wasn’t even noon yet! Another client thought that it was impossible to feel things within her body. She felt a complete disconnect caused by things that happened in her past. In the sessions she was able to visualize and feel her body. She was present and aware and could feel her energy centers opening!

I am looking forward to hold breathwork classes in my community both in group as well as for individuals and couples. I truly believe that with the breathwork and Biofield Tuning I have opened, not just a door, but a gateway to helping people at a much deeper level than I was and that I believed I once could. I am proudly stepping into this transition with joy and grace and look forward to see where it takes me and all the good it has done and will continue to do for my fellow humans!

Chanelle, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I was first brought to Massage by my mom. As a young girl she asked me to work on her back. I grew a sense of deep feeling during this “training”. Due to some uncontrollable family situations, I moved with my dad and during holidays I would work on everyone’s feet. When I graduated high school and moved back down to Florida, my dad asked me the famous dad question, “so kid, what are you going to do with the rest of your life?” I had no idea! My dad responded, “well you’re good at Massage how about you go to massage school“ The rest is history as some would say. In the field, I have worked in many different types of places. I’ve worked in the ambulance chaser auto accident clinic, for chiropractors, small local day spas, five star resorts with some very prestigious multibillionaires, and then eventually for myself. In 2016 I started Shiva’s Massage. It was just me and a girl that did Pilates that shared the space. As I evolved, I looked more toward having a staff. When I opened Shiva’s I was excited to finally learn the things I wanted to learn; I dove in head first! I built a business from scratch, with no help, and no real knowledge about owning a business. I am most proud of my consistent dedication through the ups and downs. I am proud that I keep pushing through even when it is really tough. I am proud that I have built something that from the moment out clients walk through our doors that always mention how peaceful they feel here. I had a client call saying she was having a really bad day and asked if she could just come and sit in the lobby because she felt so at peace here.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I honestly feel like it was my customer service. I always greeted everyone with a real smile. Always happy to see each and every client, I know that just seeing a smile will brighten their day and bring joy to their lives. I have a nurturing care about me and that overflows into how the clients are treated here at Shiva’s. I listen, and I respond to their requests. I always prioritize what a client wants worked on and have removed my ego because at the end of the day it’s not about me. It is about the client and what they want and what they need. I believe that it is about educating the client and having communication with them so that they are fully aware as to what you were doing and why.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I came from a family that was very poor. So when I came into this profession, I brought some judgments with me that I found were no longer necessary to hold close to my heart. I was working in Key West at a five star resort and my client with someone who is very famous. Her family was known as being conceited among many other qualities. I came into her massage With a stigma that I believe held me back from giving her the best that I could provide her. She wound up being the most grateful and sweet I could ever have hoped to have on my table. Also, at this resort were residence that lived on the island that were multibillionaires. Still keeping this disconnect and the stigma I eventually learned that just because someone has a lot doesn’t mean that they look down at you. It doesn’t mean that they are mean to you, it doesn’t mean that you are less than they are. This lesson had me re-evaluate these thought that were deeply ingrained. These people are humans just like myself, with their own issues and struggles, but ultimately, we are all the same. We are all trying to be our best selves the individuals that I encountered while working at this resort open my eyes to a different way of seeing and I couldn’t be more grateful about it.

Contact Info:

• Website: BookBestMassage.com
• Instagram: @bookbestmassage
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/ShivasMassageLLC
• Youtube: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UC7ipstMV17r7CwFiidxCQig

Image Credits
All photo credits are from me and my mom, Barbi.